Help! Emphasize a portion of a video file with freeware tools?

[Iceblade]

Hey guys,

So I want to try my hand at some of the various freeware filter packages out there, and once thing I'd like to try to do is essentially the OPPOSITE of blurring someone's face out. Basically, I'd like to either EMPHASIZE everything within a given "box" inside the full video frame, or at least de-emphasize/blur/low pass filter everything outside said "box". Can you direct me to the tools I need to do this... and perhaps a "how to" that might show me the way? For the time being, let's assume that the "box" is stationary throughout the entire video. I'd like to start with an MPEG2 video rather than just raw AVI as the source material, if that matters.

Thanks for any and all help,
Jeff

[manono]

Hi-

Not sure if this is what you had in mind or not. The EffectsSpotlight from the AviSynth package EffectsMany will brighten the inside of a defined circle to seem as if a spotlight has been thrown on the part you want. EffectsLens from the same package can magnify a desired part of the screen. And there are other interesting effects available in there as well:

http://avisynth.org/vcmohan/EffectsMany/EffectsMany_index.html

Although HBlur will blur inside of a circle, I can't find one that does what you requested originally, blur outside of a circle, although perhaps others better versed in AviSynth than I can adapt one of vcmohan's functions to do just that:

http://avisynth.org/vcmohan/

As a workaround, you can create one version heavily blurred, and another version cropped to the size you want, but not blurred. Then you use AviSynth's Overlay command to place the unblurred small square or rectangle on top of the blurred version so the effect is as you want; a clear and distinct center, surrounded by the blurred out rest of the screen.. This can be done in one step, encoding only once:

http://avisynth.org/index.php?page=Overlay

And if you have no AviSynth experience, don't ask me for a how-to. There are probably NLE's that can do what you want. But they're usually not free.

[Iceblade]

manono,

Thanks a BUNCH! No, I don't have any avisynth experience, but I'm all about learning so I will check out the links you provided and see if I can find a newbie "how to" here on the forums or google for it elsewhere. Much appreciated!!!

If others have ideas or hints... or if they have links to the "newbie guides" I might need, please feel free to share. 'til then, me and the search engine here are going to get up close and personal.

Regs,
Jeff